James Madison University’s University Park Earns LEED Silver

The new University Park at James Madison University (JMU) has earned LEED Silver certification with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The 65-acre project features six buildings and five athletic fields creating a new athletic/recreational sports campus while also addressing the need to enhance student wellness, improve recruitment efforts, and elevate the university’s athletic programs.

To meet the needs of the teams and groups who use the complex, the project features two separate programs: one for the University’s Athletics Department and another for University Recreational Sports (UREC). Each has its own gatehouse with offices and meeting rooms, as well as a pavilion for group gatherings and celebrations. Athletic and recreational spaces include: a track and field, soccer, and lacrosse complex; practice fields; a multi-purpose field; and courts for tennis, basketball, and sand volleyball.

In keeping with the project’s goal of enhancing student life and wellness, and JMU stressed the important of pursing LEED certification early during design. As a result, the project team incorporated design and construction concepts in accordance with LEED-NC Version 2.2 guidelines. Notable features include vegetated space on over 45 percent of the site; a StormFilter to capture and remove pollutants from runoff; day-lit offices and meeting rooms; and the use of plumbing fixtures that reduce water use by 45.2 percent compared to the LEED baseline.

“I am proud of our involvement with this unique certification given the nature of the project and the limited amount of building space.” Bryna Dunn, Moseley Architects’ Director of Sustainability Planning and Design remarked, “While I have been impressed with many of the green features that have been worked into this project, perhaps one that I am most excited about is the energy efficiency of the sports lighting.”

The LEED Silver accomplishment reflects the second LEED certified project between James Madison University and Moseley Architects — the East Dining Hall Campus was the first earning Gold certification in 2010.

George Nasis, the managing principal of the project and a vice president of Moseley Architects said, “We enjoy working with JMU and share their commitment to sustainability. In working on a project dedicated to improving health and wellness, it’s rewarding to carry that goal throughout the design and construction process.”